A little over six weeks until my birthday and election day. My birthday is not exactly a milestone year, but I sure hope the election is. The country is in real danger from the occupant of the White House. I just hope there is a big enough blue wave that his hands will be tied to keep him from his worst impulses.

Tomorrow it will be May 2018. I hope I live until my 81st birthday. My birth anniversary is November 6th and that is also election day. My gift to myself will be my vote. I look forward to this vote more than any other election since I was 21. I very seldom miss an election and have voted almost every election since I was eligible. I have never feared for my country as much as I do now. My only hope is for a clean sweep in November, a blue wave.

When I was in my mid-twenties I had an emergency appendectomy. A friend sent me a get well card that said I didn’t have anything to worry about because only the good die young.

I looked at my watch this morning and it said it was mid-April 2017. I never thought I would live this long. If I make it to November I will be 80. Hell, I am on my second pacemaker. Technology has kept me alive this long starting when I was one year old.

Before I was a year old, I had pneumonia and almost died. The doctor said if I got it again I would not survive. Of course, I got pneumonia again. But between the first and second bouts, antibiotics became available and pneumonia became a very cureable disease.

When I was 70 I had a heart attack and they popped in a pacemaker. I wore that one out and got a second one. I doubt I will wear this second one out.

Here we are, three weeks into the Trump administration and things are worse than I could have imagined. It turns out that the Trump election campaign worked with the Russian government to give stolen e-mails to Wikileaks in exchange for reduced sanctions. Congress is undoing any and all pro-consumer laws and starting to destroy Social Security and Medicare.

I hope I live long enough to vote on my birthday in 2018. I want to be able to vote for any progressive candidates that might run in hopes of limiting the damage the current crop of crooks and thieves are doing.

New Year new beginnings. Happy New Year to all.
Never in my almost 80 years have I felt such foreboding about the future of my life and my country. Today Republicans tried to gut the Ethics Panel, but they got caught and backed off. But only until they get a chance to do it on the QT.
I fear for my Social Security and Medicare. The US is the only industrialized nation on the planet that does not provide comprehensive medical care for all its citizens. Mitch McConnell wants to cut Social Security and Medicare because they are contributing to the national debt. I guess Mitch flunked Civics in school or he would know that those two programs are funded from a separate account and do not contribute to the debt.
The Defense Department lost $6.5 trillion. That is trillion with a T. I can’t even imagine what a trillion dollars is. If that money were put to good use like rebuilding infrastructure and social welfare programs it would be an enormous stimulus to the economy.
When Eisenhower was president the top income tax on the very wealthy was 91%. Today it is 15% if the billionaires can’t figure out how to avoid paying it altogether, like our president-elect.
The Conservatives call Social Security an “entitlement.” I worked from the time I was 14 until I was 70, sometimes two or three jobs at a time. I paid SS tax on all those jobs all those years. That is my money not some government largess.
OK, I got that off my chest. I don’t feel any better, but it is out there.

Had a discussion this morning about my congestive heart failure with Mark. He said I need to start thinking about moving into assisted living. I am just not ready for the used people warehouse yet.

My mind is still working fine and I want to do things but I get exhausted just walking to the mailboxes at the end of the block. Please body, just hold up a little longer.

My sister tells me to suck it up and get on with what remains of my life. She says to not be afraid of death. Since I am not religious, I am sure this is all there is. When I close my eyes for the last time it is all over.

All the things I have learned, all the experiences I have had will be for naught. And nobody will care. I know I lived a pretty insignificant life and no songs will be written about me. But it was my life and I will miss it.

It’s been eight months since I made an entry. My buddy Ben is in an assisted living facility in Jupiter, Florida. His wife died late last year. I don’t get to see him often since he is so far away. He and his wife were married for 63 years and he is not taking the loss very well. Still have the same apartment, car and TV. New cell phone and watch.